ADA&C Malpractice Program Q&A
January 7, 2022
Q: Can I keep the CDSPI Malpractice Insurance plan alongside the ADA&C professional liability insurance?
A: No. CDSPI Malpractice insurance will not provide duplicate coverage as, at the present time, the ADA&C plan will provide the primary coverage for Alberta dentists.
However, CDSPI will offer Excess Malpractice insurance that Alberta dentists can purchase from CDSPI in January 2022 which provides protection in excess of the $2 million ADA&C policy. Please note the CDSPI excess insurance coverage will not apply if the ADA&C shared aggregate limit of $25 million is exhausted.
Q: Should I cancel my Malpractice insurance with CDSPI?
A: You do not need to cancel your Malpractice insurance with CDSPI. It will end automatically no later than the end of your 2021 policy period on December 31, 2021. We will not send you a renewal invoice for the CDSPI Malpractice coverage.
Q: Can ADA&C force us to take their professional liability insurance?
A: The ADA&C Council passed a special resolution on December 6, 2021, that mandates that each registered dentist in Alberta must purchase professional liability insurance through the ADA&C’s Professional Liability Insurance Program.
Q: What happens if I have a claim made in 2022 for the work I did before 2022?
A: Please report any claims that arise in 2022 for work done prior to 2022 to the ADA&C.
Q: What happens if I report a claim in 2022 for events that occurred in 2021 or prior years?
A: Please report any claims that arise in 2022 for work done in 2021 or prior years to ADA&C.
Q: Can I purchase Excess Malpractice from CDSPI?
A: CDSPI will be offering Alberta dentists access to an Excess Malpractice Insurance program. You can contact CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. at 1.800.561.9401 or insurance@cdspi.com for more information.
If the ADA&C shared aggregate limit of $25 million is exhausted, and as a result that coverage does not respond to a claim against you, the CDSPI Excess Malpractice coverage will also not respond.
Q: Will CDSPI’s Malpractice insurance program cover non-practicing/retired dentists in Alberta after December 31, 2021?
A: The CDSPI malpractice program is only available to retired dentists in those provinces that participate in the program. As such, if you are an Alberta dentist who retired prior to December 31, 2021, you are not covered under the CDSPI malpractice program for claims arising after the end of 2021. We suggest affected dentists should contact the ADA&C to determine what coverage, if any, the ADA&C will make available to non-practising status dentists.
Q: I have paid for CDSPI Malpractice insurance for a number of years, so why won’t I be covered under the non-practicing status coverage?
A: Once the policy period has expired, the insurer does not provide coverage. This is not unique to CDSPI, nor to this and other forms of insurance. Under the CDSPI malpractice program, the policy period for retired dentists expires when their province leaves the CDSPI malpractice program.
Q: What happens to my non-practicing status coverage as I have retired?
A: If you retired in or before 2021 and you are an Alberta dentist, your non-practicing status coverage ends on December 31, 2021 which is the end of your current policy period pursuant to the terms of the CDSPI malpractice program. We suggest you contact the ADA&C to establish what coverage, if any, they will make available.
What happens if I retire in 2021 but did not notify CDSPI until 2022?
A: You will not be covered by the CDSPI Malpractice Insurance plan.